College football senior sendoff: BYU, Utah and Utah State set to say goodbye to 63 players

Across the country, thousands of college football seniors will be playing in their final home games this Saturday. The Utes and the Aggies are no different as they honor their seniors this weekend at Rice-Eccles Stadium and Romney Stadium.

The Utes and Aggies will be looking to send their seniors out on a winning note as they take on Colorado and Wyoming, respectively. The Utes have 19 seniors this year, while the Aggies have 22.

BYU, which already held its senior day on Nov. 16 against Idaho State, also has 22 players graduating the program. Those seniors were presented wth team blankets after the game, a tradition that has been around for decades.

The Cougars will see 22 players end their college careers in the next month, as BYU plays at Nevada on Saturday and in the Fight Hunger Bowl on Dec. 27.

Tyler Beck, No. 45

LB, 6-1, 220 pounds, Murrieta, Calif.

Beck has been a solid contributor as a linebacker with 34 tackles — two of them for loss — and a forced fumble. His biggest game in 2013 was against rival Utah, as he notched 10 tackles. This season was his first year with significant playing time, as he’s made 10 tackles in his previous seasons.

JD Falslev, No. 12

WR, 5-8, 175, Smithfield

Falslev has been an impact player this season as BYU’s main punt returner. This season Falslev has returned 23 punts for 239 yards and a 71-yard touchdown return against Middle Tennessee State. Falslev also has 284 yards receiving and two touchdowns on the year. In his career, Falslev has played in 48 games, racked up 888 yards and six touchdowns receiving and returned 86 punts for 842 yards and two touchdowns.

Kaneakua Friel, No. 82

TE, 6-5, 261, Kaneohe, Hawaii

Friel has had a quiet senior season for the Cougars, with nine receptions for 110 yards. His best season was in 2012, as he picked up 30 receptions for 308 yards and five touchdowns. Friel's top game came in the 2012 opener against Washington State, when he had six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Mike Hague, No. 32

DB, 5-10, 190, Salt Lake City

Hague started with the program just one year after Bronco Mendenhall did. In total, Hague has been around the program for six seasons, including taking a redshirt in 2009 and a medical redshirt in 2012. He’s made the most of his senior season with 29 tackles, one sack and five pass breakups.

Spencer Hadley, No. 2

LB, 6-1, 227, Connell, Wash.

Hadley’s senior season took an unexpected course when he was suspended before the Utah game for an honor code violation, and he's missed time lately with a knee injury. Still, the linebacker has made his impact felt this year, with 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. In 2012, he started all 13 games and had 55 tackles.

Cody Hoffman, No. 2

WR, 6-4, 210, Crescent City, Calif.

Hoffman will finish his BYU career with three major receiving records. With two games left on the schedule in 2013, Hoffman has 246 receptions for 3,431 yards and 33 touchdowns over his time at BYU, making him the No. 1 receiver in Cougar history. In nine games played this year, he's caught 43 passes for 713 yards and five touchdowns, and Hoffman is 164 yards away from catching Curtis Brown for the BYU career all-purpose yards record.

Adam Hogan, No. 16

Photo courtesy BYU

DB, 5-11, 180, Los Angeles

Hogan has been a reserve at BYU since joining the team as a JC transfer in 2012. Last year, he played in four games at cornerback, and this season, he has played in one game, with one tackle and a forced fumble.

Austin Holt, No. 88

DE, 6-5, 262, South Jordan

Holt, who started the 2013 season listed as a junior, will be leaving the program after this year. He switched from tight end to the defensive line this season and did not record a defensive stat in 2013; from 2010-12, he had 17 receptions for 242 yards from his tight end position.

Austen Jorgensen, No. 34

LB, 6-2, 232, Mt. Pleasant

Season-ending knee surgery marked the end of Jorgensen's BYU career earlier in 2013. During his Cougar career as a key reserve, Jorgensen had 109 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. This year against Georgia Tech, Jorgensen had 11 tackles — including one for loss — and a quarterback hit.

Scott LeFrandt, No. 33

DB, 5-11, 190, Seattle

LeFrandt, who led his team in receiving touchdowns at Orange Coast College before switching to defense at BYU, played against Idaho State this season.

Eathyn Manumaleuna, No. 55

DL, 6-2, 305, Anchorage, Alaska

Manumaleuna has been around the Cougar program a long time, and his career included blocking UCLA's potential winning field goal in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. During his time at BYU, much of which has been spent as a starter, Manumaleuna has amassed 142 tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, four pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and an interception he returned 30 yards.

Marcus Mathews, No. 80

WR, 6-4, 200, Beaverton, Ore.

Mathews, like Austin Holt, began the season listed as a junior, but this will be his final year. Injuries derailed Mathews' career that included catching the game-winning touchdown against Utah State in 2011. He has 38 receptions for 460 yards and one score at BYU.

Blake Morgan, No. 27

Photo courtesy BYU

DB, 5-11, 195, Greeley, Colo.

Morgan has taken on a more prominent playing role his senior season, as the Cougars have dealt with injuries in the defensive secondary. After totaling 22 tackles prior to 2013, Morgan has 33 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup this season.

Jason Munns, No. 11

QB, 6-5, 249, Kennewick, Wash.

Munns has taken just a few snaps under center during his Cougar career, where he's spent time behind BYU signal callers Max Hall, Riley Nelson, Jake Heaps and Taysom Hill. During his senior-day game against Idaho State two weeks ago, Munns told coaches to let the younger quarterbacks play to gain experience for the future.

Kevin O'Mary, No. 96

DS, 6-4, 240, San Diego

O'Mary joined the Cougar football program the past two years as a deep snapper. He has played in all 11 games for BYU this season.

Skyler Ridley, No. 17

WR, 6-0, 182, Murrieta, Calif.

Ridley, whose first year in the BYU program was as a redshirt in 2007, was voted a team captain for this season. In 2013, he has 31 receptions for 369 yards, second-best on the team, and has added two touchdowns. For his career, Ridley has 51 catches for 575 yards and three scores.

Daniel Sorensen, No. 9

S, 6-2, 208, Colton, Calif.

Sorensen has been a force in the Cougars' defensive secondary throughout his BYU career. Saturday's game will be the 50th he's played in as a Cougar, and his 56 tackles are sixth-best on the team this year. For his career, which began in 2008, Sorensen has 202 tackles — including 11.5 for loss — eight interceptions, 22 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a sack and a blocked kick.

Justin Sorensen, No. 37

K, 6-1, 243, South Jordan

Sorensen has been the Cougars' main kicker the past three seasons. While a series of injuries hurt his accuracy in 2011 and 2012, this year Sorensen has increased his proficiency. He's hit 18-of-22 field goals and all 40 point-after attempts he's tried, accounting for a team-leading 94 points.

Uani 'Unga, No. 41

LB, 6-1, 233, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

'Unga joined the Cougars in 2011 after transferring from Oregon State. After a modest 2012 season — with 28 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception — he has burst on the scene this year. In 2013, 'Unga leads the Cougars with 125 tackles, and he also has seven tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry.

Manaaki Vaitai, No. 79

OL, 6-3, 317, Euless, Texas

After playing on the scout team the first few years following his LDS mission, Vaitai has earned playing time the past two seasons on the Cougar offensive line. He helped the Cougars average 153.2 rushing yards per game in 2012 and 263.7 thus far this season.

Kyle Van Noy, No. 3

LB, 6-3, 245, Reno, Nev.

Van Noy will graduate as one of the most decorated defenders in BYU history. His knack for the ball has him rated as a potential high draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft, and he has shown a propensity to distrupt opposing offenses. During his Cougar career, the linebacker has 214 tackles — including 59.5 tackles for loss — and 26 sacks, including 13 his junior season. He also has seven interceptions — he's returned two for scores — 11 forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 33 quarterback hurries and 17 pass breakups.

Richard Wilson, No. 18

TE, 6-3, 245, Spanish Fork

Wilson has been with the Cougar program since 2009, and during his time at BYU, he has 24 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns. His first catch of the 2013 season came on Senior Day against Idaho State two weeks ago, when he caught a 15-yard touchdown pass.

UTAH FOOTBALL

The Utes will see 19 players end their college careers on Saturday, as Utah hosts Colorado in the team's final game of the season.

Quade Chappuis, No. 19

Photo courtesy University of Utah

LB, 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Hometown: Alpine

A former walk-on, Chappuis has earned valuable playing time for Utah, as evidenced by the fact he's played in 39 games. During his Ute career, Chappuis has had 62 tackles, an interception and forced a fumble.

Anthony Denham, No. 8

WR, 6-4, 222, Monterey Park, Calif.

Denham has had a breakout season for the Utes in 2013. He is fourth on the team in receiving with 24 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns. In 2012, Denham had 11 receptions for 135 yards in his first year after transferring from East L.A. College.

Sean Fitzgerald, No. 83

WR, 6-3, 200, Mission Viejo, Calif.

Ever since Kenneth Scott went down with an injury against Utah State in the first game of the season, Fitzgerald has stepped up in a big way for the Utes. This year, he's caught 27 passes for 404 yards and five touchdowns, and Fitzgerald was recently named to the Pac-12 all-academic second team.

Latu Heimuli, No. 99

DT, 6-3, 305, Salt Lake City

Heimuli's once promising career has been derailed by injuries, though he is having his best year in 2013. Heimuli has played on both the offensive and defensive lines. This season he is back at defensive tackle. In his career, Heimuli has recorded 17 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and two pass deflections.

Phil Hinson, No. 28

WR, 5-9, 177, Salt Lake City

Hinson started his career at Snow College before joining the Utes. Hinson walked on in 2011 and saw playing time against UCLA before leaving for an LDS mission. He rejoined the team this fall.

Mike Honeycutt, No. 25

DB, 5-10, 181, Cedar Hills

Honeycutt has 27 tackles on the season to go along with two pass deflections and one sack. From 2010 through 2012, Honeycutt earned the majority of his playing time on special teams while also playing some at nickelback. He was recently named to the Pac-12 all-academic second team.

Vyncent Jones, No. 64

OL, 6-3, 305, Sandy

Jones joined the Utes back in 2009. He redshirted his first year before playing the next four years on the offensive line. Jones continued to get more playing time with each passing year.

Soni Kinikini, No. 31

Photo courtesy University of Utah

RB, 5-11, 250, Sandy

Kinikini played two years at Snow College before joining the Utes in the fall of 2012 as a walk-on. Kinikini redshirted that year before playing this season.

Keith McGill, No. 1

DB, 6-3, 205, La Mirada, Calif.

McGill missed the entire season last year due to an injury. This year he has come on strong with 31 tackles on the season to go along with nine pass deflections. McGill has also recorded an interception against UCLA at home in 2013.

Thretton Palamo, No. 22

DE, 6-2, 255, Sacramento, Calif.

Palamo, an international rugby player, walked on to the Utah football team in the spring of 2011 and has been playing ever since. In three seasons, Palamo has recorded 23 tackles, one forced fumble and a half sack.

Tenny Palepoi, No. 91

DT, 6-2, 300, Salt Lake City

Palepoi has had a breakout year for the Utes this year and Kyle Whittingham has taken notice with his praise of Palepoi over the course of the season. In just two years, Palepoi has recorded 62 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Trevor Reilly, No. 9

DE/LB, 6-5, 255, Valley Center, Calif.

Reilly is a captain on the Utah defense for good reason: over his career, he has put up some impressive numbers. In four years, he has recorded 218 tackles, 20 sacks, 36 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, an interception and nine pass deflections. Reilly will leave as one of the best Utah defensive players the Utes have had in recent memory, and he is earning buzz as a potential high pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Percy Taumoelau, No. 79

OL, 6-4, 310, Glendale

Taumoelau joined the team back in 2009. He redshirted his first year before playing the next four. Taumoelau received his bachelor's degree in economics this spring and is working on a second undergraduate degree.

Jeremiah Tofaeono, No. 76

OL, 6-2, 320, Las Vegas

Tofaeono joined the team back in 2009. He redshirted his first year before playing the next two years on special teams. In 2012, he played in six games while missing the other six due to injury. During those six games, Tofaeono recorded four pancakes and 12 knockdowns.

Tanqueray Towns, No. 86

WR, 5-10, 160, Los Angeles

Towns walked on as the Utah football manager in 2012 while he was completing eligibility requirements.

LT Tuipulotu, No. 58

DT, 6-1, 305, Euless, Texas

After redshirting and playing on the scout team during his first two years, Tuipulotu has become a force inside for the Utes. In 10 games, Tuipulotu has registerd 35 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss as well as one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Michael Walker, No. 15

DB, 5-9, 182, Brenham, Texas

Walker has 59 tackles on the season to go along with five pass deflections, one sack, one fumble recovery and one interception. Walker, who mostly played special teams during his first couple years on the team, has taken on more of a starting role this year.

Karl Williams, No. 38

RB, 6-0, 243, Layton

Williams has done a little bit of everything for the Utes this year. Williams has rushed for 51 yards on the season while averaging more than 3.4 yards a carry. Williams has one rushing touchdown as well as two receiving touchdowns.

Kelvin York, No. 13

RB, 5-11, 220, Prairieville, La.

York has been one of Utah's most consistant backs, as he's rushed for more than 600 yards over the past two seasons. York, who's a powerful downhill runner, has seven total touchdowns as a Ute and looks to add to that this Saturday against Colorado.

UTAH STATE FOOTBALL

The Aggies will see 22 players end their college careers in the next month. Utah State hosts Wyoming on Saturday, and with a win, the Aggies would play in the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship game. USU also will play in a bowl game.

Maurice Alexander, No. 5

S, 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Hometown: St. Louis

Alexander, a junior college transfer, is enjoying a strong senior season. This year, he's fourth on the team with 69 tackles, including nine for a loss, and has 3.5 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception.

Quinton Byrd, No. 3

CB, 5-10, 181, Miami

Byrd, who joined the Aggie program in 2009, has played in 49 games for Utah State throughout his career. After receiving a medical redshirt in 2012, he has come back strong with 30 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception this season.

Clayton Christensen, No. 26

S, 5-10, 196, Sterling

Christensen, a Utah native, is a transfer from Snow College. During his two years in Logan, he has recorded 16 tackles. Last year, Christensen recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown against Utah, his first career score.

Joey DeMartino, No. 28

RB, 5-11, 200, San Diego, Calif.

DeMartino, who joined the USU team in 2010, has bided his time waiting for his chance to start in the Aggie backfield. He's made the wait worth it, as he leads Utah State in rushing this season with 912 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He's also caught 11 passes for 96 yards and another score.

Jake Doughty, No. 51

LB, 234, Draper

Doughty was named first-team All-WAC last season and earned conference all-academic honors from 2010-12. After a breakout season last year that included 109 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and an interception, he's built upon those numbers in 2013. This year, he leads USU with 120 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups, three QB hurries and a forced fumble.

Tay Glover-Wright, No. 4

CB, 6-0, 175, Smyrna, Ga.

This is Glover-Wright's second year with the Aggies after transferring from Eastern Arizona Community College. In his two years in Aggie blue, he's been a consistent contributor, with 47 career tackles, six pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a sack.

Tyler Larsen, No. 58

C, 6-4, 312, Salt Lake City

Larsen, a leader on the offensive side of the ball, is one of five starters that returned for Utah State on the offensive line this season. He has started 49 consecutive games for the Aggies, including 11 this season. Larsen also has accumulated plenty of accolades during his time in Logan, including being named to the All-WAC first team in 2011 and 2012 and the academic All-WAC team in 2011.

Nevin Lawson, No. 1

CB, 5-10, 186, Lauderhill, Fla.

Lawson has been a solid contributor for Utah State ever since he joined the team in 2010, when he started twice as a freshman. This year, he has a career-high four interceptions — taking one for a touchdown — 13 pass breakups and four tackles for loss to go along with his 48 tackles. In his USU career, Lawson has 196 tackles, 8.5 tackles for losses, six interceptions and 36 pass breakups.

Jamie Markosian, No. 54

Photo courtesy Utah State University

OL, 6-2, 292, Salt Lake City

Markosian started all 13 games last season for the Aggies, earning him second-team All-WAC honors. He's been a steady force on the offensive line again this season, starting all 11 games at either left guard or right guard.

Robert Marshall, No. 27

RB, 6-0, 219, Dallas

Marshall is the team's second-leading rusher this season, with 309 yards and a touchdown on the ground. During his Aggie career, Marshall has rushed for 590 yards and three touchdowns and has added 10 receptions for 103 yards.

AJ Pataiali'i, No. 56

NG, 6-3, 307, West Valley City

Pataiali'i is in his second season at Utah State, after spending three years at Snow College. Following a 24-tackle season in 2012, he has 29 tackles — including 2.5 for loss — this year while playing in all 24 games since he arrived in Logan.

Paul Piukala, No. 48

Photo courtesy Utah State University

DE, 6-5, 265, Oakland, Calif.

Piukala is having a breakout year with the Aggies after joining the team as a JC transfer in 2012. This season, he has 33 tackles, four tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

Travis Reynolds, No. 8

WR, 5-11, 180, Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.

Reynolds, who made the academic All-WAC team from 2010-12, has steadily increased his role in the Utah State offense. Before this season, he had 37 receptions for 344 yards and a touchdown. In 2013, he leads the Aggies with 51 receptions for 832 yards and four touchdowns.

Cameron Sanders, No. 2

S, 5-11, 190, Oklahoma City

Sanders has found ways to contribute in a largely reserve role for Utah State. During his Utah State career, the three-year letterman from the Midwest has 58 tackles, seven pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Eric Schultz, No. 66

OL, 6-4, 300, Connell, Wash.

Schultz has started on the Aggie offensive line ever since he started the final six games of his freshman year in 2010. In 2012, he earned first-team All-WAC honors and he's started 11 games at right tackle this season.

Sini Tauauve'a, No. 77

Photo courtesy Utah State University

OL, 6-2, 310, West Valley City

Tauauve'a switched from the defensive line to offensive line in 2012 after joining the Aggie program following two years at Snow College. This year, he has started six games at left guard, joining the starting lineup after fellow senior Kyle Whimpey went down with a season-ending injury against San Jose State.

Josh Thompson, No. 19

Photo courtesy Utah State University

PK, 5-9, 182, Logan

Thompson has hit a pair of extra-point attempts for the Aggies in 2013. Before this season, he had hit 10-of-16 field goals in his USU career and set Aggie single-season records with 57 extra points made and 58 attempted in 2010.

Terrell Thompson, No. 12

LB, 6-1, 220, Aurora, Colo.

The JC transfer Thompson has recorded 18 tackles during his Utah State career, with 1.5 tackles for loss. That includes nine tackles this season, as well as a sack and a forced fumble.

D.J. Tialavea, No. 91

TE, 6-4, 260, West Jordan

Tialavea, a captain on the team, had his senior season cut short because he needed surgery on a broken bone in his foot. Before being sidelined, he had 17 receptions for 93 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his Aggie career with 30 receptions for 198 yards and five touchdowns.

Travis Van Leeuwen, No. 7

WR, 6-3, 195, Provo

Van Leeuwen has more than doubled his receiving output at Utah State this year. After coming into the 2013 season with 43 receptions for 528 yards and three touchdowns, he's added 38 catches for 541 yards and three scores. His yardage total this year is second-best on the team.

Kyle Whimpey, No. 73

OL, 6-6, 310, Highland

Whimpey had his senior season cut short when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in USU's game against San Jose State in late September. Before that, Whimpey, whose twin brother also plays for the Aggies, had started five games at right guard. He started all 13 games in 2012 after transferring from Idaho State.

Connor Williams, No. 40

DE, 6-3, 278, Kanata, Ontario, Canada

Williams had 32 tackles and six sacks for the Aggies while starting 13 games in 2012. This year, his numbers have dipped, as he missed several weeks with a foot injury. In seven games, Williams has posted 18 tackles and two sacks and has a fumble recovery.